Loom replenishing mechanism



March 26,1940. w R, HEWTO 2,194,655

U LOOM REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed March 1, 1939 INVENTOIZ. WILLIAM R.H WTON AT TO RN EY.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 LOOM anrmmsnntc MECHANISM William B. Hewton, Philadelphia, Pa., assignmto Collins & Aikman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1939, Serial No. 259,080

11 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic weft replenishing looms provided with a supply of full or partially full bobbins, and a transferrer means for engaging a bobbin of the supply to insert it in a shuttle positioned in a compartment of a shuttle box and simultaneously eject the substantially exhausted bobbin carried by the shuttle.

More particularly, this invention is directed to an actuating mechanism for the transferrer means. This improvement avoids the necessity of providing a lower or special shuttle box construction for automatic bobbin replenishing double shuttle looms, and provides a mechanism which will insure a rapid ingress and egress of the bobbin engaging portion of the transferrer means from the shuttle compartments of the shuttle box.

Difliculty has been experienced in properly controlling the motion of the transferrer means on weft replenishing looms having a long replenishing stroke,'or a long replenishing stroke and a short replenishing stroke, selectively or successively controlled as illustrated in United States patent to Bird and Hewton No. 2,136,331, of which I am one of the joint inventors.

This invention contemplates within its scope an attachment for present day pile fabric looms, which has a complete cycle for each pair of weft inserted. The pairs of wefts may be inserted simultaneously by shuttles thrown through superposed sheds from opposite sides of the loom.

According to a preferred embodiment of my invention, I mount on the crank shaft in vertical alignment with the picking balls an open face cam which cooperates with a follower roller, such as a ball bearing roller, rotatably mounted between the, bifurcated arms of a pivoted spring pressed member. A special journal and guide device supports and directs a ram element pivoted to the spring pressed member. This construction affords substantially straight line movement of the ram and causes the downward thrust of the cam on the roller to be dissipated against a fixed stud shaft, thus affording long wearing life to the guide. The ram element supports a dagger engaging-stud or studs for moving a replenishing da ger after the dagger has been set and retained in set position by a latch member, similarly to the manner disclosed in the aforesaid patent.

A vented tubular telescopic spring assembly prevents the follower .from leaving the rapidly rotating and sharply inclined cam face and by building up air pressure aids in insuring that the transferrer means is free to move clear of the path of the shuttle boxes after the completion of the long stroke of the transferrer means. replenishing cycle may be initiated by a timing niechanism, weft fork, feeler mechanism, or the li e.

An object of this invention is to provide a long wearing and direct acting actuator for the transferrer means of a replenishing loom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a replenishing actuator to cooperate with double shuttle loom shuttle boxes of conventional height.

Another object is to provide a replenishing actuator capable of effecting replenishment after each crossing of a shuttle.

Another object is to provide an actuator which is increasing in speed as the lay is approaching I front center audits forward rate of movement is decreasing.

Another object is to provide means in addition-to the follower spring to aid the spring in preventing overthrow of the follower from the cam. i

Another object is to provide a transferrer actuator which will insure a rapid ingress and egress of the transferrer into and out ofshuttle box on long replenishing strokes.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed description' of the attached drawing, wherein:

Figure I is a side elevation of double shuttle loom with certain parts omitted to more clearly show the location of the present improvement.

Figure 11 is a sectional view through line A--A of Figure 1, showing the construction of the pivoted guide for the ram and the spring and telescopic assembly.

Figure III is a partial detail view of the spring and vented telescopic assembly.

Referring-first more particularly to Figure I of the drawing, a frame II] has appropriately journalled thereon crank shaft H and a lower main shaft l2, which may be driven from any suitable source of power in a known manner. The lay swords l3 are mounted on a sword shaft 14 and oscillate therewith. Sword shaft I4 is jour- The nalled in the frame. Intermeshing gears l5 and l6 are fixed on the shafts II and I2 respectively, and actuate the lay beam I! through pitmans l8, which are pivotally. connected to the swords l3. In general, the picking mechanism is the same on both sides of the loom, with treadle arm i9 adjustably supporting picking shoe 20, cooperating with double arm lever 2| through balls 22 to effect cross picking.

The bobbin magazine 23 mounted on a fixed portion of the loom, such as the knife rail 24, has Journalled thereon shaft 25 with a spring return (not shown) and a loosely mounted transferrer member 25, to the upper end of which the transfer er head 21 is pivotally and yieldingly journailed. The lower arm 28 of the transferrer member is yieldingly connected to the upper arm through compression spring 29, of ample initial strength to effect replenishment in a known manner.

Transfer dagger 30 is pivoted as at 3! to the lower arm 26, and is normally held up against the under side of knife rail 24 by torsion spring 32 one end of which is fastened in lower arm 28 and the other end of which presses down on extension 33 of the dagger 3!].

Hook 34, pivotally held by stud 35 of a stationary bracket (not shown) fixed to the under side of the knife rail 24, serves to hold either tooth of the latch 36, so that the dagger 30 is held in position to engage one or the other of bunters 31, 38. The hook is released by bunter stud 39 on lay beam 11, which allows latch member 36 to reset in a manner similar to the detailed description in United States Letters Patent No.

2,136,331. Offset 46 on the lower end of latch 36 engages the dagger 30.

Shuttle box 4| on the replenishing side has two vertically aligned compartments, either of which may retain a shuttle 42 or 43. A bobbin 44 from the supply may pass through the upper compartment to refill a shuttle in the lower compartment. In the illustrated embodiment only 'One shuttle would be in a box at one time. The picker stick is represented at 45.

Cam 46, fixed to crank shaft l I, is continually in operative engagement with roller 41 by virtue of compression spring 48 and its assembly. Spring 48 surrounds telescoping tube members 49 and 50 An oil film separates the tube members and acts as a seal. Each of the tube members have inserted at one end, as by threads or a pressed fit end, pieces 5| and 52, recessed to provide a bearing for supporting studs 53 and 54. Stud 53 is fast to pivoted lever 55 and stud 54 is secured to stationary bracket 60. The end member 52 is vented as at 52. This construction holds the spring 48 in horizontal position without material deflection or buckling, and the size of the vent is such that air pressure is built up within the telescoping members as the high point of the cam is reached. The air pressure aids the spring 48 in preventing overthrow of the follower roller 41 and gives an initial booster action to the rearward movement of pivoted lever 55 and roller 41, to effect return of roller 41 with the descending contour of the cam face, thus insuring smooth silent operation during normal weaving. On the stroke of the ram and cam, during which replenishment is effected, the bunters 31 and 38 will be quickly disengaged from the dagger 30. After disengagement, the return spring is free to function without restriction and the replenishing mechanism is reset for normal weaving.

Single face cam 46, as hereinbefore mentioned, makes a complete revolution for each crossing of the shuttle or shuttles. Its downward thrust on roller 41 is dissipated into the support stud 56 of the pivoted lever 55. Closed cams are not desirable because of their tendency to break, noise and initial cost, and cannot be used to produce the necessary length of 'stroke, as a closed cam of the required size would interfere with the picking balls of conventional looms, over which the cam 46 is mounted.

Pivotally connected to shaft 51 and between the bifurcated ends of lever 55 is a reciprocating ram 58, carrying on its forward upwardly extending end the dagger engaging bunters 31 and 38. This upwardly extending end is in the path of the lay but as it is always forwardly of the lay during weaving, direct actuation of the dagger 30 and transferrer is accomplished without resorting to an excessive linkage arrangement.

The ram 58 is guided in a channelled guide 58, pivotally mounted on bracket 66 secured to the loom frame l0, as by 'bolt 6|. A pin key 62 extends into circular recess 63 to retain the channelled guide in place. The guide 59 automaticab' ly adjusts itself to the movement of lever 55 and aligns the bunters 31 and 38 with the dagger 30, which has been set after the call for replenishment.

Operation The bunters 31 and 38 are reciprocated for each beat of the lay and forwardly thereof by the rotating cam on the crank shaft. The downward thrust of the cam on its follower is taken up in the fixed stud support and the follower is maintained on the cam face by its return spring, which together with the built up pressure in the telescoping members prevents overthrow of the follower from the cam face and insures quiet operation during normal weaving.

At substantial exhaustion of weft from a bobbin, replenishing is initiated as by a feeler and the latch is moved to engage one or the other of its teeth in the hook to align the dagger with the proper bunter to actuate the transferrer arm. The transferrer arm moves through the selected distance and against a fixed stop and inserts a bobbin from the supply. The spring and air pressure as in normal weaving keeps the follower on the cam 50 as to quickly release the dagger from the bunter, so that the transferrer may quickly withdraw without interference from the ram and cam motion.

Having described in a single embodiment my invention, but wishing to be restricted only to the scope of the following, I. claim:

1 In a weft replenishing m of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator including a crank shaft for the lay and the shuttle box and a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of an actuator for the transferrer arm which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram member, a bunter on said ram member and means driven from the crank shaft which accelerates the forward motion of the ram member during the time the crank motion is decelerating the forward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction.

2. In a weft replenishing loom of thebobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator including a crank shaft for the lay and the shuttle box and a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of an actuator for the transferrer arm which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram member, a bunter on said ram member and a cam. on the crank shaft in operative engagement with movement of the ram member during the time the crank motion is decelerating the forward movement of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction.

3. In a weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator for the lay and the shuttle box, a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a complete cycle of movement for each beat of the lay and which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram'member, a hunter on said ram member, means for accelerating the forward motion of the ram member at the time the crank motion is decelerating the forward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction and actuating means for imparting the forward and rearward movement to the transferrer arm actuator.

4. In a weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank shaft actuator for the lay and shuttle box, a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a forward and rearward movement for each beat of the lay and which includes a ram member having an upstanding portion forwardly of the lay, a hunter on said upstanding portion, means for accelerating the forward motion of the ram memher during the time the crank shaft is decelerating theforward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction and actuating means for imparting the forward and rearward movement to the transferrer arm actuator.

5. In a weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearward- 1y, moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank shaft actu ator for the lay and shuttle box, a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of an actuator for the transferrer arm which includes a member pivoted on the loom changing type having a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of an actuator for the transferrer arm which includes a reciprocating ram, a hunter on the ram, a cam follower operatively connected to the ram, a driving cam for the ram, means to keep the driving ram in operative engagement with the cam follower, said means comprising a spring operative at all times as well as means effective only at and shortly after front center to aid the spring when the reciprocating ram changes its direction of travel. 4

7. In a weft replenishing loom of a bobbin changing type having a crank shaft for driving the lay, a bobbin supply, a shuttle. box, a shuttle in said box and a transferrer means for engaging a bobbin of the supply to transfer it into the shuttle; the combination of an actuator for the transferrer means having an open face cam mounted on the crank shaft and rotatable therewith, a pivoted lever, a cam follower on said lever, a ram member pivoted to the pivoted lever, a rotatable guide for said ram and means for keeping the follower against the cam face.

8. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator for the lay and the shuttle box and a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; .the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a complete cycle for each beat of the lay and which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram member, a pair of bunters on said ram member and means for accelerating the forward motion of the ram member'during the time the crank motion is decelerating the forward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction.

9. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator including a crank shaft for the lay and shuttle box and a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a complete cycle of movement for each beat of the lay and which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram member, a pair of hunters on said ram members, a cam on the crank shaft for accelerating the forward motion of the ram member during the time the crank member is decelerating the forward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction and a spring and vented telescoping assembly within the spring for keeping the ram and cam in operative relationship during weaving. v 10. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type having a forwardly and rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator including a crank shaft for the lay and shuttle box, a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a complete cycle of movement for each beat of the lay and which includes a forwardly and rearwardly moveable ram member, a pair of hunters on said ram member, a cam on the crank shaft for accelerating the forward motion of the ram member during the time the crank motion is decelerating the forward motion of the lay near the end of its travel in one direction, said ram member being pivoted to a member pivoted on the loom frame and guided by a rotatable guide.

11. In a double shuttle weft replenishing loom of the bobbin changing type, having a forwardlyand rearwardly moveable lay, a shuttle box mounted on the lay for movement therewith, a crank motion actuator for the lay and shuttle box, a transferrer arm on the transfer side of the loom; the combination of a transferrer arm actuator which has a complete cycle of movement for each beat of the lay and which includes a forwardly and. rearwardly moveable ram member having an upstanding portion forwardly of the lay, a pair of hunters on said upstanding portion, and means for accelerating the forward motion of the ram member during the time the crank mo tion is decelerating the forward motion of the 

